HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE- GOS SIP. 



J 67 



Potentilla plants. It does not seem to be a great 

 step between goose-grass and gander-grass. The 

 Galium aparine here is called Hariff, cleavers, 

 goose-^rass, and the seed which is not liked in the 

 corn samples bv the farmer is called Clites. — John 

 Branenden, F.G.S., Cirencester. 



The Cuckoo's Eggs. — Can any of the readers of 

 Science-Gossip give me their opinions as to 

 whether the cuckoo ever hatches her own eggs, as I 

 have been informed by some persons that it, never 

 does, while, on the contrary, others assert, and a hook 

 in my possession also affirms, that she does sometimes 

 both hatch and rear her brood? Hoping to see some 

 of your correspondents giving their opinions on the 

 subject. — Joseph G. Henderson. 



Popular Names of Orchids. — The children 

 here call the Orchis metadata, "Skeet-legs." I 

 am unable to account for the name ; perhaps some 

 of your numerous correspondents may be able to 

 solve the difficulty. — H. J. Taylor, Folkestone. 



Silkworms.— In answer to " Inquirer," I can 

 tell him the way I manage my silkworms, but I do 

 not pretend that it is the best way by any means. 

 I procure two or three trays, about 14 inches by 10 

 inches, and 1 inch deep ; oid chocolate-boxes will do 

 very well. In one of these I place my eggs, and as 

 soon as they begin to hatch, I remove them with a 

 camel's-hair pencil slightly damped on to a young 

 leaf of lettuce : great care must be taken in re- 

 moving them, as when so young they are exceedingly 

 liable to damage. As soon as the leaf is eaten or 

 dries up, the silkworms must be removed with the 

 camel's-hair pencil to other leaves. When they 

 have changed their skin for the first time, I begin to 

 feed them on mulberry ; it is best to divide them 

 now into two or more batches, which will prevent 

 overcrowding. When full-grown, I make a number 

 of spiral coils of paper, similar to those made by 

 grocers, for sugar, &c. In each of these I place 

 one silkworm. As soon as it has changed, the silk 

 can be wound off and the pupa placed on a layer of 

 sawdust or bran. The boxes in which the worms are 

 kept had better not be covered, as they will never 

 attempt to escape as long as they have plenty of 

 food. — H. Wiglesworth, Chilton Lodge, Botherham. 



Water-Rat. — As I was trout fishing on the 

 18th April, in a stream at Albourne, I saw a very 

 large water-rat moving about among the lower 

 branches of a whitethorn hanging over the water, 

 and I distinctly observed it nibbling and eating the 

 young green leaves of the bush. This was so un- 

 usual a sight to me that I watched it for some time. 

 Is this a fact in natural history that is commonly 

 known? — Arthur H. Borrer. 



Dogs eating Wasps.— I am much obliged to 

 "D. R." for replying to my query on this subject, 

 and beg to say that the terrier of which I spoke was 

 stung by a wasp when quite a puppy, which confirms 

 his opinion that it is vengeance that prompts his 

 enmity to the insect ; but still I am puzzled to know 

 how it is that the dog is not stuug when eating a 

 wasp he has recently killed, or when swallowing one 

 alive. I know people are often stung by dead 

 wasps ; I shall be glad to be enlightened about 

 this.— # M.P. 



Phosphorescence. — A few evenings aso, upon 

 retiring to rest, L saw a large centipede upon the 

 ceiling. Not liking such an insect as a companion 

 during my nocturnal slumbers, I killed it, but was 



[ surprised to see a long streak of pale blue phospho- 

 rescent light. To make sure that it was so, I put 

 out my light, the phosphorescence gradually faded 

 away, lasting about a minute. I shall be glad to 

 know if it is the nature of these insects to emit this 

 light when killed— J". # S. 



Teeth of a Ely. — I am much obliged to the 

 gentlemen who have so kindly answered my query 

 on this point, and will try to verify by actual obser- 

 vation the information they give. I would point out 

 to Messrs. R. and J. Beale, that I did not say their 

 preparation did not show the teeth as now de- 

 scribed, but rather that the mere fact of their name 

 being on the slide was sufficient to prove that such 

 organs must exist. I fancy, however, that Mr. 

 Ford's version of the quest ion is correct, viz., that 

 the preparer has been mistaken in considering the 

 false tracheae as teeth. I have not at present been 

 able to re-examine the slide I first saw, to say with 

 certainty whether this is so or not, but hope to do 

 so before long, and will communicate the result of 

 my examination, especially if I find I have made a 

 mistake. — T. J. B. 



Juniperus communis. — The finest exhibition of 

 this shrub which I have ever noticed is on the 

 Cot.teswold Hills, Inferior Oolite, between Birdlip 

 Hill and Painswick, where I have seen on Pain? wick 

 Hill, which is very exposed, short stumpy plants 

 only a few inches high, but in Cranham Wood 

 examples occur of over twelve feet high, which 

 before now I have seen covered with berries, which 

 used to be "picked," as the children said, " by them 

 for the doctor." — /. Buchman, Bradford Abbas. 



Hawflxch. — It is undoubtedly a rare occurrence 

 to find the nest of this bird in Somersetshire, as it 

 is a rare and casual visitant. There is no instance 

 recorded of its having bred in the North of England, 

 although some have been takeu there. Selby states 

 in his Catalogue that a few years ago he saw one at 

 Alnwick Castle, which was killed at Hulue Abbey, 

 and that two specimens were some time ago shot 

 near Stockton-upou-Tees. Mr. John Hannock, of 

 Newcastle, the eminent naturalist, has three speci- 

 mens in his collection, which were shot in Streatham 

 Park — two of them, a male and female — in the 

 winter of 1837. Several specimens were seen near 

 Belsay Castle in 1860 and 1862. — Dipton Bum. 



BOOKS, &c, RECEIVED. 



" Notes on Collecting' and Preserving' Natural History 

 Objects." Edited by J. E. Taylor, F. L. S., &c. London : 

 Hardwicke & Bogue, 192, Piccadilly. 



"Monthly Microscopical Journal.'' June. 



"Journal of Applied Science." June. 



" Land and Water." June. 



" Ben Brierley's Journal." June. 



" Canadian Entomologist.'' May. 



"Botanische Zeitung." June. 

 &c. &c. &c. 



Communications Received from : — G. H. K. — F. K. — 

 H. G. G.-E. E.— R. J. W— J. P.— J. R. B.--A. P.- J. S.— 

 S. S.— H. S. J. U.— F. A A.-J. S. H.— F. H. A. -A. J. R. S. 

 — W. C— S. H.— J. H. B.— L. P — C W. W.— Rev W. W. S. 

 (Tasmania).— C. H. M.— H. J. S.-J. H C — M. D.— T E. M. 

 — H. E. F.— Dr. G. D B.— W. H. N.— G C D. -A. K. L,.— 

 W. S.— W. H.— F. M. H — H. E. P.— A. M. J. C S.— J. B — 

 A. S.— W. K. M — E. F.— A. G— A. F. G — E. B. T.-J H. G. 



— C. F. & W. H.C.— C.U.— H. L.— W. P.— C D.—Dr. C. C A. 



— G. H. H.— E. W.— E. D.— F. A. E.— J. S. J.-E J.-T. H. P. 

 — M. F.— F. 8.— R. J. M— J C— H. D.— H. H. C G. G.— 

 L. R— B. M. O.-R. H. P.-E. D. M— B. B. W.-G. M. D. 

 — W. E S.— G. J. P.— J. P. S — J. F. R.— F. H. A.— S. J. B. 

 —A. J. A. — H. E. W.— J. H. B.— C W. W.— W. C— E. B. F. 

 — D. B.- C. C. H.— C. F. G.— &c, &c. 



